Uzomaki Creed: Ascension
by Lucian VanDrayle
Summary: AU - Timeshift - OOC? Naruto is facing Kaguya in the final battle, but being yanked into dimensions has unseen effects. The Wheel of Time is turning, and a new world is ready for it's turn to shine. WARNING. If you are looking for typical Naruto fanfiction, go read something else. The rails are broken, and this ride is headed for destinations unknown
1. Chapter 1

Pain tore through his body like wildfire as the gray bone blades stabbed another clone and was dispatched. Kaguya was not backing down, and nothing was getting through her. Sasuke was in another dimension, however that worked, Kakashi and Sakura were somewhere behind a sand dune, and he was currently flying through the air trying to find a way to get to his former team mate.

All in all, things weren't doing so good.

Another flare of pain went through him as he lost another clone to the Mother of Chakra's attacks, and his mind continued to race. What was he going to do? He never doubted himself, he always believed in the end he would win, it was just a matter of finding out how to do it. But he had no clue how to rip a hole in space and go after the only person who was literally the answer to stopping the pale woman.

He blinked. The world changed again, and he could feel less of his clones nearby. Below him was a sprawling green sea, the fumes of it making his nose sting and his eyes water. Naruto could see Kaguya in the distance. He flickered again and winced as another clone took the blow.

He blinked. Gravity was suddenly tripled as he fell to his knees in another world, sensing even less of his clones. Sakura and Kakashi was also gone. What happened? Kaguya was closer now, although also on her knees.

He blinked. His hands suddenly felt numb as his body sank into the snow, as the world again changed around him. Kaguya was only a few yards away, and he couldn't sense his friends, or any of his clones. He reached out to Kurama, his mind calling for chakra. For help. For anything.

He blinked. She was in front of him. Something had him frozen, his body felt lifeless. All he could see was her weeping eyes. A hand came up, and though he couldn't flinch he feared her ash bones stabbing him and ending it.

"Your chakra… Belongs to me… I will have it now…"

He felt her fingers touch his cheek, and Naruto winced, his eyes closing again. She whispered into his ear, but in the hurricane of pain and wind around him he couldn't hear her.

Naruto opened his eyes. He was staring at a tilted wall. No, the wall wasn't tilted… he was laying down. The floor… no the bed under him had a familiar stiff but comforting feel to it. Confused he sat up, rubbing his face. Tiredness seemed to envelope him like a heavy blanket, like he'd just fought for his life and then ended up here. He blinked, looking around the room. It was his room. Of course it was his room, what other room would it be. Naruto looked at the wall at his calendar. Today had a big circle in red marker around it.

It was the graduation day. His eyes went big as he jumped off his bed, scrambling to get dressed. Today was the day! He finally had made it through 4 years of the Academy, and now he was legally able to apply for the Genin exam! He pulled on the black over shirt with his swirl pattern over his orange tshirt and jumped into his black cargo pants. For a moment he frowned, staring into his closet at the normal orange jumpsuit.

"Funny… I never noticed how ugly that this was…" he mumbled to himself. He then shrugged and headed out of his apartment. Naruto took off from his home, hopping from rooftop to rooftop. Ahead and around him he could see several other academy students all heading in the same direction. One such student made their way to him as he landed on another rooftop.

"Good morning, Naruto!"

Naruto grinned and gave a salute as they launched into the air again. "Morning, Kiba! Ready to say goodbye to the Academy?"

The Inuzuka let out a woop and rolled at they landed on the street. "Goodbye classrooms, hello headband! Think you'll make it through without getting sent to the principal's office again?" The two bound on the walls of the alley and back to the rooftops, and resumed their trip. Naruto gave him the thumbs up. "Dude, nothing is keeping me from graduating. This time tomorrow, I'm gonna be a ninja!" Kiba and Naruto fist bumped and Kiba bounded away to talk to another student.

Soon, Naruto touched down in front of the Academy gates and grinned. This was it. He was one step closer to achieving his dream. He turned and looked behind him into town. Over the Yellow District he could see the colossal statue of the 4th Hokage. The monument to the Yellow Flash stood proudly as he watched the West, a commemoration to his triumph over Iwagakure and his sacrifice to the village.

"Watch me Dad…" he whispered to himself. "One day I will be able to proudly take your name."

As the young blonde went into the Academy, a ghostly figure watched him from the top of the 4th's head. The red transparent entity giggled before flitting down and following the boy, as it had for the last 12 years.


	2. Chapter 2

Graduation from the Konoha Ninja Academy was mandatory for the populace of the village. Every child spent four years there, learned the basics of ninja training, as well as history, social studies, and survival. This had been the way of life, ever since the Second Hokage was in office. Graduates from the Academy would then either move on to the many civilian trade businesses in the village, resume schooling in an academic sense, or they took the Genin Exam. Konohagakure may not have the biggest military force since the war, but everyone was able to fight if needed.

Naruto took a seat in the classroom, the almost 200 other students around him all milling about and or talking. Everyone was excited for one reason or another, today they finally graduated. All the ninja-prone students sat more or less in the same section, and the young boy was able to spot a few faces he recognized. Kiba, of course, who was talking to Shikamaru and Choji, was talking about his 'cool new moves' he was learning with his partner Akamaru. Akamaru was sleeping in the boy's jacket, totally immune to the noise around him. Ino and Sakura, the resident chatterboxes, were all huddled around the Sasuke-Fan-Club table, where they talked, giggled, and looked longingly at the Uchiha heir. Said Sasuke was in the closes seat to a dark corner, brooding and attempting to look cool. Although the definition of 'cool' varied from person to person.

The only student he recognized that he didn't see was Hinata. The shy girl had always been nice to him, even though she turned red and stuttered a lot, but she was usually always on time. Not seeing her in her usual seat was weird.

The young boy stretched and leaned back in his seat, his feet propped up on the desk. His mind started to drift a bit while the noises around him faded away. Last night's dream had him confused. He didn't remember much of it, a really big fight with some weird white figure, and flying around at super fast speeds. He remembered the woman being scary, and powerful, but he wasn't scared. Like the him in his dream was super powerful and could fight her. But when she spoke to him in the end, he couldn't for the life of him remember what she said. His mind continued to drift until the sudden rapping of a ruler on a desk woke him from his day dreams. Iruka-sensei was at his desk at the front of the classroom, twirling a ruler in his hand.

"Goooood Morning class!"

"Good Morning, Iruka-sensei." The class droned in response. The man gave them a good hearted smile. "Now I can see how excited you guys are for your last day of class. I know many of you are looking forward to continuing your schooling elsewhere-" groans from the class "And I know some of you are going to be moving on to the Genin Exam as well. So to commemorate your last day of the Academy, I've made a quiz!"

The wailing of distraught students was like sweet music to the teacher. He laughed and held up his hands. "Don't worry, it won't be going to your grade. And it won't take long either. Everyone take their seats and we can get started." The rumble of feet as the students went to their places echoed for a moment, then Iruka cleared his throat.

"Alright, now. Who can tell me the names of the four Hokages? Yes, Sakura."

The pink headed student stood and took a breath. "The first Hokage was Hashirama Senju, the founder of Konoha and was known as the God of Shinobi. The Second Hokage was his younger brother, Tobirama Senju, who founded the Ninja Academy as well as the current government structure here. The Third Hokage is Hiruzen Sarutobi, and he is the current Hokage, known as the Professor. He was succeeded by Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, also known as the Yellow Flash. The Fourth fell in battle with the Kyubii, and Sarutobi-sama took the seat of Hokage once again. The Four Kages are remembered by the four statues found in the different districts of Konoha."

Naruto listened, his eyes growing solemn at the mention of his dad. The Hero everyone adored and admired. Iruka glanced his way, but continued.

"Very good Sakura. Who can tell me about the Five Nations? Shikamaru?"

The Nara groaned and stood up, scratching the back of his head. "The Leaf Country, The Sand Country, Rock, Cloud, and Mists are the major nations. There are other smaller countries, but none of them have an acting Kage or Ninja economy." He sat down and Iruka sweatdropped.

"Straight and to the point. Ok last- Oh, Miss Hyuga." Heads turned to see the Hyuga heir enter the classroom, looking embarrassed and red faced. "Glad you could join us, we were just having a last day quiz. Maybe you can answer this next question. What are the core values of the Ninja of the Leaf?"

The shy heiress was quiet as she quickly made her way to an empty seat. "Valor, Intelligence, and Instinct. B-but above all Unity. One without the other is weak. B-but together, we are strong."

Iruka nodded to her. "Very good Hinata. Take your seat." He turned to the rest of the class. "Unity. Teamwork is the backbone of Konoha. It's why we have such renown teams such as Ino-Shika-Cho, the Twin Ravens, and even the Legendary Sannin. By yourselves, you can be strong, and you can achieve great things. But together, you can be unstoppable."

Many students listened intently. Naruto was excited, getting put on a team with any of his friends would be amazing. Sasuke looked disinterested, like anyone he was teamed with had better not slow him down. Iruka continued. "All of you know how to survive. All of your have it in you to be great ninja. Not all of you will answer the call. But know this. I am proud of each and every one of you…"

He trailed off, looking at the class. Then he grinned. "What are you waiting for? Get out of here! Class dismissed!" The roar of joy that came from the room could be heard even from outside. Kids were jumping and shouting, and many of them were already running out of the doors. Iruka walked around to the front of his desk, raising his voice to be heard.

"All who are taking the Genin Exam, follow me!" And with that, he jumped up to the rafters. Naruto watched as he opened the skylight in the room, and soon he and the other candidates around him were jumping after their teacher. While the civilian kids were leaving, the rest were bounding on top of the academy, making their way to the highest point. Passed the third floor Naruto saw where they were headed, the observatory on the fourth floor. It had a large open balcony next to a huge telescope, enough for the couple dozen student who arrived. As Naruto touched down he spotted Iruka, standing in front of the telescope with his arms folded.

"Alright, everybody here? Today is the day you stop being an academy student. Today you join the ranks of the Konoha Ninja. You will each be tested and judged. If you pass, you will get one of these."

He tapped the headband he was wearing. The etched symbol of the Leaf shimmered under the sun. "When you wear this, you are the face of Konoha. You are the first and last line of defense for this village. This is not a child's game. This is life and death."

The crowd was hushed, listening intently. Many gulped in worry, and a few actually edged towards the door back downstairs. Iruka smiled thinly. "I actually was able to get a guest speaker today. Someone who knows what it means to be a ninja."

It was then that people looked up and saw a figure in a long lab coat at the top of the telescope. The figure turned their way, then jumped, landing in front of them.

"I present to you one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru."

-=- 著者からの言葉 -=-

Well, not much else to say at this point. I do want to thank tastybigsexy for following though. I appreciate it. :) Looking forward to see where all this goes...

I want to NOT do the typical in this fic. Everything I read is the same story, over and over. It's either a retelling of the manga scene by scene with little variation, or mini stories that take place outside the narrative. I want to change that.


	3. Chapter 3

-=- 著者からの言葉 -=-

First off, THANK YOU to Exploding Sun for reviewing the story so far. To answer your question, or implecation, this is not your typical 'OverPowered Naruto' Story. Will he become overpowered? Maybe. But so will the rest of the world. Until he's the best in the world, there will ALWAYS be plenty of people strong enough to pimp slap him down a few pegs.

Also! Thank you to the favs and watches! It means a lot! Now then, on with the story!

-=-物語で上-=-

Orochimaru. The Lord of Serpents. The Legendary Sannin. The Dark Professor. He had many names, but few people addressed him as any of them. Surprisingly the only remaining student of the Fourth Hokage in the village, he was in charge of the R&D Division of the Konohagakure. And in the last 12 years, he'd been responsible for many of the jutsus that was added to the Hidden Leaf register.

His imposing figure stood before the students, his hands in his labcoat pockets. His long black hair swayed in the wind as his yellow eyes looked at each of the children before him. Then he smiled, and many of them shivered at the site of it.

"So you all are the potential ninjas we have for this term. A few more than usual, that's for sure. And soooo many interesting specimens." His eyes flicked to several kids in the crowd, including Sasuke and Naruto. One kid actually lost his nerve and ran. This only promted the snake master to let out a laugh. "I see my reputation preceeds me. It is all right though. I have in my years done many, many things that would make other's blood run cold. And I shall continue to do so, because through my actions, I serve the village."

One student spoke up. "Um… is it true you do experiments on people?"

"Yes. I do. Spies, criminals, the people who betray the village are my unwilling test subjects. And when the jails run dry, I go looking for trouble beyond the walls of Konoha." His face turned serious. "This is the world we live in. Madmen and heroes stand side by side. What is evil to one can be the life saver of another. My actions, in another world, may have me exiled from this place, or even killed. But I am lucky enough to be able to continue my research, and further aid the village."

He walked to the telescope, laying a hand on the side of it. "I was trained by the third Hokage. I owe my life to him, in many ways. At my lowest moment I should have been put down. But through the actions of my team, and my sensei, I stand before you now. There will come a time when you look into the stars, and ask yourself… "Why am I here? Is what I do making a difference? What is my purpose?"…" he looked back to the students. "When that time comes, lean on your friends. Let your team propel you to greater heights, and in turn, push them towards their goals as well. You will be asked to do many things that are hard. You will be asked to spy, asked to kidnap and interrogate, and many times, asked to kill." He adjusted his collar, and Naruto spotted the Leaf Headband around his neck.

"All this and more will be expected of you. So I ask you now… Do you have what it takes to be a ninja?" He looked about the students, and at first, no one moved. Then Naruto took a step forwards. Then Sasuke. And eventually all the students stepped forwards, their faces looking determined. Orochimaru smiled again, his hands in his pockets.

"Very well. Let the Genin Exam begin."

He performed a hand seal, and Naruto suddenly felt very dizzy. Blinking, he shook his head and let his eyes focus again. He was standing in an empty classroom, and it was nearing sunset from the view outside. He frowned… What… had happened.

The door to the classroom opened and in walked one of the Teachers. Naruto recognized him quickly. "Mizuki-sensei, what are you doing here?"

The teacher just smiled and sat at the front of the desk of the class. "I'm in charge of your testing today Naruto."

"So this is still part of the Genin Exam?"

"Of course, Now…" Mizuki held up a sheet up paper. He placed it on the desk in front of him, facing Naruto. "The mission is stealth based. You are to infiltrate the Hokage's library, acquire the Forbidden Scroll, and then run."

Naruto frowned. He looked at the page… It was a map of the Hokage tower. He'd been in there plenty times, even got to hang out in the Old Man's office. But he hadn't had much of a chance to explore. This map showed him everything.

"What should I do after I get the scroll?"

Mizuki's face twitched, his tight smile never waivering. "Like I said, just run. The longer you have the scroll without getting caught, the higher your score."

Naruto grinned and nodded, taking the paper and putting it into his overshirt. "Alright, Mizuki-sensei! I won't let you down!"

As the boy bounded out of the room, Mizuki's face turned dark and his smile lacked any humor. Tonight demon… You will die….

* * *

Naruto snuck into the side window of the Hokage Tower, the sun just starting to set. After looking at the map he spotted a place where the patrols didn't cross for about 30 seconds. That was his moment. He crept passed the inner guards, and made his way to the Hokage's Library. Finding the Forbidden Scroll was simple, it was the huge one in the corner with a big red wax seal on it. Naruto hefted it up and placed it on his shoulder.

"Alright… on to the next part." He quickly ran out of the room, slipped passed the guards and was onto the roof. He was about to leave when

"Naruto!" The voice of the Hokage made the boy flinch. He turned and saw the 3rd, smoking his pipe and looking very sternly at him. "What do you think you are doing?"

Wow, the Hokage himself was part of the Exam? This was a lot harder than he thought. Naruto glanced around In a panic, no way he could make it away from the Old Man. The Third took a step forwards…

And the door slammed in his face. Both people were surprised by the random action, but Naruto took his chances and bolted.

Sarutobi looked at the closed door, and the faint red apparition that had closed it in his face. He was an old man, he'd seen a lot in his days. Frogs the size of a mountain, women who could spew acid and eat through metal, humans able to shatter cities with a single fist. But never in his lifetime did he ever experience a ghost.

"… I don't believe in ghosts, but I don't think you care about that." He said to the apparition. "You must be that red mist that follows Naruto around… I've heard nasty things about you."

The red floating cloud didn't move, just floated there.

"When he was younger a drunk tried to kill him. Instead a witness said that a red specter appeared and ripped the man apart from within. And when other tried to attack the boy later, accusing him of the Kyubii's power, again a red ghost like figure appeared, tossing them hundreds of feet in the air. You never seem to harm anyone though, unless they try to harm him…"

The red specter just floated there, in silence. Sarutobi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, putting out his pipe. Then he dashed for the window, hoping to catch it off guard. But no luck, as the red mist suddenly grabbed his leg and drug him all the way back to his office, made the door lock itself from the outside, and then flew out the window. The old man groaned and sat up, rubbing his side. That actually hurt a little. He made a hand sign and two ANBU showed up.

"We need to find Naruto. Gather the available ninja. And find Iruka, we need to do this…" He winced and rubbed his side again. "… Non-lethal…"

* * *

Naruto was under a tree near one of the training grounds. So far, no one had caught him. The Forbidden Scroll was tucked under his arm as he scanned the woods around him. He had to hide for as long as he could right? So it would probably take them a while to find him…

Naruto glanced down at the scroll under his arm. Well… He was here, and he wasn't gonna get caught… Reading the scroll for a bit wouldn't hurt. He set the scroll down, taking a look at the first jutsu at the top. He rotated his neck, cracking it and getting the stiffness out. Time to learn a jutsu or two.

* * *

An hour had passed since Naruto had escaped the Hokage's Tower. ANBU, Chunnin and Jonin were all out and about, looking for the boy as stealthily as possible. Naruto had become quite an infamous figure with the village ever since his birth. Nevermind the boy's nack for getting into trouble and pranking , but he also had a guardian angel by his side. Or guardian demon, depending on who you asked.

Iruka was currently checking out the training grounds, looking for the boy. He caught a glimpse of yellow behind one tree and dashed over to find Naruto looking the other direction. A hand came down on the boy's shoulder and he jumped, looking up to his teacher. Iruka looked at the boy sternly and said "you have a lot of explaining to do, Naruto." But the blonde just grinned at him. "Sorry, but your student is in another castle." Iruka just blinked but then coughed and staggered back as the Naruto in front of him poofed away in a cloud of smoke. The man blinked… Naruto had learned the Shadow Clone already?

Far away Naruto blinked, looking in the direction of his popped clone. So they were after him now? Well an hour was good enough he supposed… His eyes turned back to the scroll in front of him.

"… but the longer I don't get caught, the better my points are…" he said with a grin. The young boy made a hand sign, and a clone appeared in front of him. "Stay here, keep them distracted." The clone gave a grin and salute and the real Naruto grabbed the scroll and took off for another hiding spot.

It was nearly dawn when Iruka managed to find Naruto within a small forest glade just on the inside of the city's walls. The teacher landed hard, panting from exauhstion, his eyes wide and slightly twitchy. "Naruto… I swear… If you poof away again…" he gasped out, half expecting the blonde to vanish like he had five times before. But Naruto just smiled and shrugged. "You caught me Iruka-sensei. I can't run much more… So how did I do?"

Maybe it was from running all day that kept him from responding. Normally he would have been grilling the boy for stealing the Forbidden scroll and evading capture, demanding to know WHY this had happened, what he was thinking. But breathlessness held his peace long enough for another to join them.

"Well done Naruto." Mizuki said, standing on a tree limb. "Looks like you've lasted longer than I thought you would. But what else should I expect from a demon?"

Iruka and Naruto's eyes went wide. The chunnin stumbled forwards "Mizuki you can't! It's against-" A kunai to the shoulder silenced Iruka as Mizuki looked at Naruto with hatred. The young boy was confused. Why did Mizuki call him-

"A demon." The other teacher said, his voice seething from clenched teeth. "That's all you are. A demon responsible for the deaths of countless villagers!" The man was shaking. "For years I've had to watch as you parade around in front of everyone, with that stupid smile! When twelve years ago the Nine Tailed Demon Fox tore through Konoha!"

A strange feeling began to turn in his stomach. Naruto tried to take a step back, but found himself too tired to move. Mizuki slowly walked towards him, another kunai in his hand.

"The demon that is sealed inside you still lives… and I cannot lat that go on. So… I'm going to do this village a favor before I leave with the Forbidden Scroll you snatched for me. I'm going to make this place your grave." He grabbed Naruto by the collar and lifted him up, the kunai poised to stab him in the chest. Iruka suddenly slammed into Mizuki, making him drop Naruto in the process.

The two chunnin teachers squared off against each other, Mizuki on the offensive and preventing Iruka from doing much more than avoid being stabbed. Naruto was slumped on the ground, his mind in a hurricane. Was he.. a demon? No, that couldn't be right… But his parents… Did his dad really seal the Nine Tails in him?.. But why? How…

"NARUTO!"

Iruka's voice broke Naruto from his turmoil. The man was locked in arms with Mizuki, who was trying to put another kunai in him.

"You are NOT a demon! You are a precious student of mine!" Naruto blinked, his cheeks feeling wet. "You may have the Kyubii inside you, but that doesn't decide who you-OOF!" Mizuki sent his knee into the other man's stomach and then kicked him to the ground. "Shut up you pathetic sympathizer." He spat, bringing the kunai down. Iruka let out a scream of pain as Mizuki drove the blade clean through his arm, severing nerves and flesh to the bone.

"Get away from him…" Mizuki raised an eyebrow and looked at the blonde.

Naruto stood shakily and made a hand symbol. But nothing happened. Mizuki glanced up and smirked. "Pathetic child... You think i wouldn't plan for you and any ninjutsu you may have? I let this little chase go on until you were drained and helpless. Speaking of which."

He tossed a kunai into a tree, and suddenly a tripwire let loose a barage of exploding tags underneath the blonde. Naruto's body hit another tree and he slumped down. Mizuki walked over and grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"I'd stay and enjoy flaying your corpse, demon. But I have places to be. I'll be taking the... Where's the Forbidden Scroll?"

THe man frowned and looked around. The oversized hard to miss scroll was nowhere to be seen. He turned and glared at Naruto, who was struggling to stand up.

"Where is it? WHERE IS IT?" Naruto was suddenly slammed against the ground, Mizuki holding a kunai to his throat. "GIVE ME THE SCROLL DEMON!"

Naruto coughed, looking up at the man he considered a teacher. His eyes narrowed, and for a split second Mizuki saw his blue eyes flicker red.

"Get. Off. ME!" Naruto shouted, a wave of dense chakra exploding out from his body and throwing the man off of him. Before Mizuki could right himself, Naruto was suddenly plowing his stomach and launching the man into the air. HIs body was cloaked in a flickering layer of chakra, and when he touched the ground he launched into the air, zipping passed Mizuki. Naruto turned midair, his arm reared back to punch. But all around him a massive fist of chakra formed, until it was as large as a boulder. Naruto punched downwards, and the massive fist slammed into Mizuki, crashing into the ground and leaving a fist shaped crater. Naruto landed, the chakra cloak flickering out and he collapsed. Mizuki's body twitched in the crater, his bones broken and leaving him incapacitated.

Iruka drug himself up, wincing as his arm dangled at his side. He looked around, the wreckage around him finally falling to silence. "Well… that was certainly interesting." The man blinked and looked up, seeing Orochimaru in a tree. In his hands was the Forbidden Scroll. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner, I might have prevented your arm from sustaining damage. But do not worry, I'm sure we can fix it in time." The Sannin hopped down and inspected Naruto.

"Poor boy… To be betrayed by a teacher, I hope he doesn't hold it against all of us."

Iruka looked in the crater where Mizuki's body lay. "He told him about the Nine Tails." Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, looking towards the crater. "Well… Most interesting indeed. Looks like I have a new subject to experiment with. I've always wondered if Mizuki-kun had anything hidden in his blood."

The teacher shuddered as he could hear other ANBU and teachers approaching. Orochimaru only talked that way when he had something particularly nasty in mind for a test subject. "What are we going to do with Naruto?" Orochimaru said, walking into the crater and picking up the twitching body of Mizuki. Iruka looked at his unconscious student. He smiled.

"You know… Maruto reminds me of me when I was a kid. Full of life and unpredictable. And he preformed admirably as a ninja, keeping away from his persuers and adapting to the situation. I think he has truly earned the Title of Genin."

High above them, a red apparition floated up, and again, giggled to itself before flying away.

* * *

Naruto awoke in a soft bed not his own, feeling drained and sore. He looked around… he was in a hospital bed. Next to him was a table and on it a note and a…

The headband. Memories of the previous night came back to him as the blonde reached over and picked up the note.

Good to see you're alright. The doctors said you had a small case of chakra exhaustion, so a good night's sleep was well in order. Also I want to congradulate you, Naruto. You passed the Genin Exam. The headband is yours. Be sure to make it back to the school Monday to be assigned to a team. And thanks for helping us recover the Forbidden Scroll.

There was a smiley face with its tongue sticking out next to Iruka's name. Naruta grinned and picked up the headband. He grin grew, then he laughed. The boy jumped out of bed and raced out the door, passing several people in his wake. Two of which were Orochimaru and Sarutobi.

"Excitable boy. I look forward to seeing his growth over the next few years." Orochimaru said, watching Naruto vanish around a corner from view. Sarutobi chuckled and nodded. "Yes… He's got an interesting life ahead of him."

"Where do you think he is going?"

"If I had to guess? He's going to talk with his mother."

-=- 著者からの言葉 -=-

Well... that was much more interesting than the vanilla beginning.


	4. Chapter 4

When Konoha was founded, it was built under the shadow of a large mountain. The first clans began to settle down, building houses and streets. Eventually walls were built as well, however this didn't serve to separate people, so much as to keep wildlife from the forests around them from attacking at night. Over time, trees were cut down, and the city expanded. Districts were made, one for each of the Hokages at the time. And as time went on, it became the tradition to expand the village every time a new Hokage went into office. This not only boasted the largest population of the Elemental Countries in village size over time, but also the largest city. Walls were never built very high any more, only enough to contain the current size of the village.

Outside the walls, however, the terrain changed drastically. West there was a massive forest, many dubbing it the Forest of Death. To the East and south was less heavily foresty areas, with roads leading to far away cities. The North however was a sight no one would ever forget. Trees were blown backwards, the ones not uprooted forever in a bent motion. The ground was scorched with fire, hot to the point of rock melting and leaving odd formations. All lines drew back to a single point, like an explosion had taken place. This explosion was enormous, the outer rim of it touching the walls of the city, leaving the stones marked by crimson burns. At the heart of this, there stood a crystal formation. Crimson red crystal grew from the ground almost 10 feet into the air. Jagged branches reached out from it, making it almost look like a tree in some ways. Nothing grew here anymore, animals were never seen here, and people who walked upon this ground felt an odd presence.

Naruto stood before the tree, looking down at the stone tablet at the trees roots. Inscribed into the stone was a few words, that ever time he read them, tears welled up in his eyes.

Here is the monument to Kushina Uzomaki, Proud Ninja, Defender of Konoha, and Loving Mother.

"I did it Mom…" he said, his hand gripping the headband as tears slipped down his cheeks and touched the parched earth beneath him.

"I passed my Genin exam today… I'm officially a ninja. I'm gonna make you and Dad proud. I'm gonna protect this village…" He whipped his eyes with his free hand.

"Mizuki said that I was a demon… That I had the Kyubii sealed inside me… Well, that would explain why I keep getting nasty looks from some villagers." He took a breath. "But whether it's true or not… I'm still going to protect this village. I'm still going to be the best ninja this world has ever seen."

He took the headband and tied it around his forehead.

"One day they will respect me. I hope by then I would have earned your respect too… I love you Mom. I'll come back and talk to you some time."

Naruto turned and was surprised to see the Third Hokage not far from him. He quickly wiped his eyes and walked over to the old man. "Hey Gramps… What brings you out here?" The old man nodded to the boy. "I wanted to be sure you were ok after last night. Though with how fast you left your hospital room without checking out I'd say you're doing fine."

Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I got a little ahead of myself. I just really… REALLY wanted to tell Mom I'd made it."

"I know she would be proud of you, Naruto. I am as well." His voice lowered a little bit. "However… I do need to talk to you about last night. What was said…"

"About the Nine Tails?" Naruto asked. Perhaps it was his silence, or the fact that he couldn't hide a flicker of regret from passing over his face that the young boy let out a sigh. "So it's true? I've got the Nine Tails inside me?"

The old man nodded. Naruto's face looked pained and confused. "I don't understand… When you told me who my parents were, I could get hiding my real name because my Dad had a lot of enemies. But… Why didn't you tell me about this? Why did Dad seal a demon inside me?"

The old man sighed and took a long look at the sky before answering. "Kushina was the previous host of the Kyubii." Naruto's jaw dropped. "And that meant nothing to Minato. They were young, they were in love, and they were ninja. When your father took the title of the 4th Hokage, he vowed to look after this village and all within it. And the night you were born… Somehow the fox was separated from your mother. And that alone left her near death."

Naruto was silent, listening intently.

"The only way the Nine Tails could be sealed again would be through Uzomaki blood. And though a new born, you still had your mother's chakra. Strong and vibrant like the Will of Fire." Sarutobi looked at Naruto and smiled.

"Your father made the hardest choice in his life that night. But in doing so he saved your life, and the life of the village. The Kyubii was sealed and the battle was over."

"That doesn't make sense though…" Naruto said, looking back at the crystal tree. "If Dad was successful, how did he get killed?" The 3rd's face grew grim. "That is still a mystery. We know that shortly after the Kyubii vanished, there was an explosion of red chakra. No one knows what it was or where it came from, but when people searched this area they found Minato slain, his body on its knees and almost in a defensive stance, this crystal tree behind him, and you between them. We don't know what killed him, and we don't know what became of Kushina. However whatever this crystal tree is… I'm sure it has something to do with her."

"What makes you say that?"

The old man grinned. "being around her was like standing in fire and not getting burned. It wraps around you and dances like butterflies. I still feel that in this place… I still feel her presence."

Naruto smiled a little. He always felt comfortable in this place… Even when others said it made them uneasy, he felt safe around here. He often came here in times of loneliness… It was nice. The Hokage walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Your parents loved you, Naruto. Never forget that. And while you do carry the Kyubii inside you, it doesn't make you a demon, no more than it made your Mother a demon."

The two parted, the 3rd going on his way, and Naruto lingering still at the tree, before heading home himself. Above them the crimson apperation watched, before following after the young boy.

* * *

Monday came sooner than Naruto could have thought. The days between his graduation was fast, with him celebrating with a few friends, training at his apartment, or spending every other moment looking at books and scrolls for new things he could learn. Ever since he had read the Forbidden Scroll, he'd had a hunger for knowledge. Maybe it was because he had beaten the odds and felt like he could do anything. Maybe It was because he'd been tapped out on chakra and knew he couldn't rely on it. In any case, he wanted to learn more.

The day of Team Assignments was here. All of the newly minted Genin met at the assigned classroom, and naruto was happy to see a lot of his friends had made it. And Sasuke. Of course he would make it. He also saw several of the normal faces he'd been used to seeing were missing, and several new faces had appeared. At least a good 12 he'd never seen before. Before he could ask any questions, Iruka walked in, followed by the Hokage. Everyone quit their idle chatter as the 3rd stood before the group of children.

"First, I want to congratulate you all on becoming Genin. It is no small thing for you to stand here today with your headbands. They are more than just symbols of ninja, they are symbols of this village. When you wear the hitai-ate, you are Konohagakure."

Naruto couldn't keep the grin from his face. He had to resist the urge to adjust his headband.

"You may notice that around you there are some unfamiliar faces. This is because of the recently implemented Genin Exchange Act. The surrounding countries that we are allied with have taken several of our newest graduates to their villages, and they will train with them there for the next few years. In the future, you yourself may transfer from your current team to study abroad as well."

So that explained the people he didn't recognize.

"But for now, you are Ninja of Konoha. You will preform your duties to the best of your ability, for the good of the village, and for the safety of it's people."

Iruka took a step forwards. "All stand!" At his words the Genin took to their feet. "Each of you will come forwards and pick up one of these packages. They contain the room number where you will meet your team, as well as your sensei. It also contains a fairwell gift from yours truly." Iruka grinned. "As I and the Hokage have said, we are both proud of you all. Dismissed."

Everyone made their way to the table with the pile of packages and found the one with their names on it. Naruto picked up his and headed out of the classroom, looking over the notes that was attatched to it.

"Room 206… Ok so second floor."

Instead of taking the long walk around, Naruto jumped out of the nearby window and climbed up to the second floor, slipping into an empty classroom. He quickly checked the hallway number, and was pleased to see he'd gotten into the right one. Since he was by himself Naruto looked through the package. It was a small first aid kit, a map of the Land of Fire, and a few notes on where potential hideouts could be made while on the move. Basic stuff, but none-the-less useful. There was also a kunai with a note attached to it. Naruto pulled out the note and unrolled it.

 _Naruto, I'm glad you made it to Genin. As a little trophy, I want you to have one of the first kunai that I got when I was a Genin. It's nothing special, but I hope that you can find a good use for it. Also, I would warn you to not let on to your teammates about the Nine Tails or your red friend. If the time comes and they need to know, always remember you are the only thing keeping the Kyubii from being unleashed. Never let anyone put you down and say your worthless or a demon. I'm proud of you ~ Iruka_

Naruto grinned and folded the note away, putting it in his back pocket. He kicked back and propped up his feet, and about that time the door rattled a bit, then opened. He blinked at the figure in the door. "Well… I guess we're teammates."

* * *

Iruka stood behind the Hokage in his office, and in front of them were four Jonin Senseis, Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, and Anko Mitarashi. The 3rd tapped out his pipe and addressed them.

"You are all here because the Genin this time around are unique. Not only do we have the heads of many of the clans in this year's graduating class, but we also have many exchange students in our ranks. That being said, the typically expected team roster has been changed."

He gestured to the papers in front of them. The Jonin each picked up the pages and looked at the details. "Are you sure about this?" Asuma said, glancing between his page and the others. "Some of the better team compositions are scattered across three different teams. I know some of the clan heads were expecting to have their kids fight together."

The Hokage nodded. "I know what you are getting at, but this is not time for convention. If we fall into habit we become predictable and easy to target. And though we have allies, I do not put faith in the words of people hundreds of miles away. The more diverse we can make our Ninja, the better chance we have of dealing with a threat."

Kakashi looked at his team and then back at the Hokage. "Are you sure about putting the Uchiha on the same team as this student? I heard-"

"It doesn't matter what you heard. You are their teacher now. If you still have problems after the first quarter, we'll discuss it then."

Anko raised her hand. "Um… Just curious. There is a fifth page for a team. Are we missing something?"

"Sorry I'm late!" The group turned and looked at the newcomer. A tall young women with silver eyes and long vibrant red hair, dressed in a black halter top and cutoff black pants plus Jonin flack jacket and sandals. The woman grinned sheepishly. "I got lost on the way here because I had to help an old man with his plumbing."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes as the others just chuckled. The girl just grinned and took a stand next to them. "Good enough for you, good enough for me, Scarecrow."

"Enough. Thank you for coming, Takara." Using his pipe he pushed the last page towards her. "This is your team, I suggest you all get to them now. And keep me informed if anything upsetting happens. Dismissed."

As they all left the office Takara skipped ahead and turned to the rest of the group. "Anko, Kurenai, we still on for drinks later?" Kurenai rolled her eyes but Anko gave her the thumbs up. "We'll be there Taka-chan!"

"Anko we're sensei now, can't you curb your thirst for a bit?"

"Ruby Ruby Ruby…" Takara said Kurenai's nickname before wagging a finger. "We are sensei now, trust me when I say I think we will be needing to drink whenever we get the chance!"

Asuma cleared his throat. "Um… Can I join you?" Takara and Anko stuck out their tongues at him. "Sorry Smokey, maybe if you didn't smell like an ashtray." The red head teased. Takara had always been the wildcard, and the others just got used to it.

"See ya after orientation!" and with that, the energetic Jonin bound away towards her potential students. Kakashi sighed. "That team is going to be interesting… Especially with the trio of students under her style of teaching."

* * *

Ino Yanamaka looked at Naruto, and couldn't hide the disappointment on her face. She was hoping to be on the same team as Sasuke! But instead she was on the same team as the Ramen Otaku. Naruto waved at her though.

"Well… I guess we're teammates."

Ino walked in and closed the door behind her. "I guess we are. Any clue who our sensei is yet?"

"No clue, when I got here the room was empty."

The Yanamaka took a seat at one of the desks and sighed. "I wanted to be on the same team as Sasuke-kun…" she mused. Naruto rolled his eyes. Fangirls. Ino glared at him. "What is that about?"

"What do you see in him?"

The question caught her off guard. Naruto spoke again.

"Is brooding, being rude, and wearing black all the time really that attractive?"

"We're ninja, we usually always wear black."

"You know what I'm talking about. I don't think I've ever seen him actually smile in the four years I've seen him at the Academy."

"He's got a tragic past! He lost his family and-"

"So what?" The new voice made their heads turn to the door. A skinny brown headed boy walked in, closing the door behind him. "My mom is dead and my dad is a sadistic prick. You don't see me moping about it. I got therapy and when the opportunity came for me to leave Kusa, I took it." He took a seat and crossed his arms, leaning back in the seat.

Ino was shocked silent and Naruto grinned. "So you're from The Grasslands?"

The boy nodded, smiling politely to him. "Shinji Akari."

"Naruto Uzomaki. The other one is Ino Yana-"

"Ino Yanamaka, thank you very much I can speak for myself." The girl huffed, crossing her arms. Shinji looked at the clock. "When do you think the teacher is gonna be here? I was kinda hoping to get this over and done with."

"Not eager to be part of a team?" Naruto with some sadness in his voice. But Shinji surprised him by shaking his head. "Not a fan of waiting indoors. I'd rather be outside walking or inside playing games or something."

"What kind of games do you play?" "I don't know… Poker?" Ino perked up at that. "You know how to play?" Shinji grinned and pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket.

A few minutes later the door burst open and Anko strode in loudly. "Greetings victims! I am Anko Mitarashi and I am now your Overlord! Bow before-eh?"

She blinked at the three kids huddled around a desk, cards in hand and a few ryo between them in a pile. She looked at each of them before pulling up a chair.

"I like you guys. Deal me in."

-=- 著者からの言葉 -=-

Something that has always bothered me when it comes to Naruto Fanfic is the fact that if people DO go back in time or do a retelling... It's always with the same tropes. They always go on Wave Mission, they always enter the Chunnin Exams early, they always follow the script. In SOME cases, they avoid familiarity, and in those moments I commend them. But when it comes to similarity, I want to be removed enough from the first story that this feels original, or if nothing else, fresh.

Something else I see is OC importance over common sense. If there is a new teacher, they are automatically Naruto's sensei, 1000000 times better than Kakashi, teach him all the same moves he would learn, and give him some BS new super power. I don't like that. Also, OC gennin who are always on Naruto's team, and together they unlock an unstopable force that will make Naruto the Immortal Hokage Supreme.

Pathetic.

These ideas take effort, time, and a heck of a lot of creativity. Just because you write something doesn't make it good. I know my work isn't, I'm not trying to be good. I'm just keeping in practice of writing so I don't go stale. I know I'm prolly ticking a lot of people off, but I'm not here to please everyone. I just like writing, and I'm trying to get better at it.


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